Editing Gulf of California

{{Short description|Gulf of the Pacific Ocean between the Baja California peninsula and the mainland coast of Mexico}}
{{Redirect|Sea of Cortez|the John Steinbeck book|The Log from the Sea of Cortez}}
{{Infobox body of water
|name= Gulf of California
|other_name= Sea of Cortés, Vermilion Sea
|image= Wpdms nasa topo gulf of california.jpg
|caption = Gulf of California (highlighted in light blue)
|location= 
|coords= {{Coord|28|0|N|112|0|W|region:MX_type:waterbody_scale:5000000|display=inline,title}}
|rivers= [[Colorado River|Colorado]], [[Fuerte River|Fuerte]], [[Mayo River (Mexico)|Mayo]], [[Sinaloa River|Sinaloa]], [[Sonora River|Sonora]], [[Yaqui River|Yaqui]]
|oceans= Pacific Ocean
|depth= 
|countries= [[Mexico]]
|length= {{convert|1126|km|abbr=on}}
|width= {{convert|48|-|241|km|abbr=on}}
|area={{convert|160000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
|settlements= 
|frozen=
|islands= 37
|reference=<ref name="Nix"/>
|extra = {{designation list | embed=yes
   | designation1 = WHS
   | designation1_offname = Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
   | designation1_date = 2005
   | designation1_type = Natural
   | designation1_criteria = vii, ix, x
   | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1182 1182]
   | designation1_free1name = Region
   | designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in North America|North America]]
   | designation1_free2name = [[List of World Heritage in Danger|Endangered]]
   | designation1_free2value = 2019–present<ref name="whs danger"/>
  }}
}}

The '''Gulf of California''' ({{langx|es|Golfo de California}}), also known as the '''Sea of Cortés''' (''Mar de Cortés'') or '''Sea of Cortez''', or less commonly as the '''Vermilion Sea''' (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the [[Pacific Ocean]] that separates the [[Baja California peninsula]] from the [[Mexico|Mexican]] mainland. It is bordered by the states of [[Baja California]], [[Baja California Sur]], [[Sonora]], and [[Sinaloa]] with a coastline of approximately {{convert|4000|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Rivers that flow into the Gulf of California include the [[Colorado River|Colorado]], [[Fuerte River|Fuerte]], [[Mayo River (Mexico)|Mayo]], [[Sinaloa River|Sinaloa]], [[Sonora River|Sonora]], and the [[Yaqui River|Yaqui]]. The surface of the gulf is about {{convert|160000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Maximum depths exceed {{convert|3000|m|sp=us}} because of the complex geology, linked to [[plate tectonics]].<ref name="Brusca">{{cite book |author=Richard C. Brusca |title=A Handbook to the Common Intertidal Invertebrates of the Gulf of California |location=Tucson, Arizona |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1973 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbooktocommon00brus/page/10 10–15] |isbn=978-0-8165-0356-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/handbooktocommon00brus/page/10 }}</ref>

The gulf is thought to be one of the most diverse seas on Earth and is home to more than 5,000 species of micro-invertebrates.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ernesto Campos, Alma Rosa de Campos & Jesús Angel de León-González |title=Diversity and ecological remarks of ectocommensals and ectoparasites (Annelida, Crustacea, Mollusca) of echinoids (Echinoidea: Mellitidae) in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico |journal=[[Parasitology Research]] |volume=105 |issue=2 |year=2009 |pages=479–487 |doi=10.1007/s00436-009-1419-8|pmid=19337754 |s2cid=19481500 }}</ref> Parts of the Gulf of California are a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].

==Geography==

===History===
The marine expeditions of [[Fortún Ximénez]],<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://doi.org/10.2307/1007225|doi=10.2307/1007225|jstor=1007225|title=The Mythological Geography of California: Origins, Development, Confirmation and Disappearance|last1=Mathes|first1=W. Michael|journal=The Americas|year=1989|volume=45|issue=3|pages=315–341|s2cid=130939548 }}</ref> [[Hernán Cortés]],<ref>Fujita, Harumi. “Prehistoric Occupation of Espíritu Santo Island, Baja California Sur, Mexico: Update and Synthesis.” ''Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology'', vol. 30, no. 1, Malki Museum, Inc., 2010, p. 18., [http://www.jstor.org/stable/23215633 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref> [[Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo]],<ref>Burckhalter, David, et al. “Early Attempts to Colonize Baja California.” ''Baja California Missions: In the Footsteps of the Padres'', University of Arizona Press, 2013, pp. 15–18, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt180r2gc.11 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref> [[Francisco de Ulloa]],<ref>Montané Martí, Julio C, Francisco Preciado, and Francisco Noguerol de Ulloa. Francisco De Ulloa: Explorador De Ilusiones. Hermosillo, Sonora, México: Universidad de Sonora, 1995 [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/txu.059173004270511?urlappend=%3Bseq=5 HathiTrust website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref> [[Hernando de Alarcón]], Captain Francisco de Lucenilla,<ref>Lucenilla, y T. F, Carranco J. Cavallero, Juan B. Ramirez, and Antonio S. Toledo. "Report of the Voyage of Captain Francisco De Lucenilla to the Californias in 1668" (1668). Manuscript. Newberry Library.</ref> and [[Sebastián Vizcaíno]] document its earliest record.<ref>Griffin, George Butler, and Sebastian Vizcaino. “[Report Which Sebastian Vizcaino Makes for the Information of the King of Spain Concerning His Expedition to the Gulf of California—Written Early in 1597].” ''Publications of the Historical Society of Southern California'', vol. 2, no. 1, [University of California Press, Historical Society of Southern California], 1891, pp. 35–52, [https://doi.org/10.2307/41215034 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref> [[Juan de Oñate]] reached the gulf overland in 1605 by following the [[Colorado River]].<ref>Kessell, John L. “‘To See Such Marvels with My Own Eyes’: Spanish Exploration in the Western Borderlands.” ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'', vol. 41, no. 4, Montana Historical Society, 1991, pp. 68–75, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/4519429 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref> In the 19th century [[Eugène Duflot de Mofras|Duflot de Mofras]] of France and [[Charles Henry Gilbert|C.H. Gilbert]] of the [[United States Fish Commission]] visited the area.<ref>Pipes, Nellie Bowden. “Extract from Exploration of the Oregon Territory, the Californias, and the Gulf of California, Undertaken during the Years 1840, 1841 and 1842 by Eugene Duflot de Mofras.” ''The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society'', vol. 26, no. 2, Oregon Historical Society, 1925, pp. 151–90, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/20610311 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref><ref>Hastings, Philip A., et al. “Fishes of the Gulf of California.” ''The Gulf of California: Biodiversity and Conservation'', edited by Richard C. Brusca, University of Arizona Press, 2010, pp. 96–118, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt181hwrc.9 JSTOR website] Retrieved 18 March 2022.</ref>

===Area===
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the southern limit of the gulf as: "A line joining Piaxtla Point (latitude 23°38'N) on the west coast of the mainland of Mexico, and the southern extreme of Lower California".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition|year=1953|publisher=[[International Hydrographic Organization]]|page=35|access-date=28 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho-ohi.net/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S23_1953.pdf|archive-date=2011-10-08}}</ref>

The gulf is {{convert|1126|km|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|48|-|241|km|abbr=on}} wide, with an area of {{convert|177000|km2|abbr=on}}, a mean depth of {{convert|818.08|m|abbr=on}}, and a volume of {{convert|145000|km3|cumi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Nix">{{cite web |title=The Gulf of California: A Physical, Geological, and Biological Study |author=Rebekah K. Nix |url=http://www.utdallas.edu/~rnix/MAT-SE_Units/gulf_cal.pdf |publisher=University of Texas at Dallas |access-date=April 10, 2010}}</ref>

The Gulf of California is divided into three faunal regions: Northern, Central, and Southern.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

One recognized transition zone is termed the Southwestern Baja California peninsula. Transition zones exist between faunal regions, and they usually vary for each individual species. (Faunal regions are distinguishable based on the specific types of animals found there.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gulf of California Invertebrate Database: The Invertebrate Portion of the Macrofauna Golfo Database |publisher=[[Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum]]: Center for Sonoran Desert Studies |url=http://www.desertmuseum.org/center/seaofcortez/database.php}}
</ref>)

===Geology===
[[File:Gulf of California.jpg|300px|thumbnail|Satellite picture of the gulf]]
Geologic evidence is widely interpreted by geologists as indicating the gulf came into being around 5.3 million years ago as [[plate tectonics|tectonic forces]] rifted the [[Baja California peninsula]] off the [[North American plate]].<ref>[[Warren B. Hamilton|Hamilton, W.B.]], 1961, Origin of the Gulf of California: GSA Bull., 72, 1307–1318.</ref> As part of this process, the [[East Pacific Rise]] propagated up the middle of the Gulf along the seabed. This extension of the East Pacific Rise is often referred to as the [[Gulf of California Rift Zone]]. The Gulf would extend as far as [[Indio, California]], except for the tremendous [[river delta|delta]] created by the [[Colorado River]]. This delta blocks the sea from flooding the [[Mexicali]] and [[Imperial Valley]]s. Volcanism dominates the [[East Pacific Rise]]. The island of [[Tortuga Island, Baja California Sur|Isla Tortuga]] is one example of this ongoing volcanic activity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://review.nsf-margins.org/SPRCL.html |title=Science Plans RCL |publisher=review.nsf-margins.org |access-date=May 27, 2008 |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218231705/http://review.nsf-margins.org/SPRCL.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Furthermore, [[hydrothermal vent]]s due to extension tectonic regime, related to the opening of the gulf, are found in the Bahía de Concepción, Baja California Sur.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Leal-Acosta, M.L., Prol-Ledesma, R.M.|year=2016|title=Caracterización geoquímica de las manifestaciones termales intermareales de Bahía Concepción en la Península de Baja California|journal=Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana|language=es|volume=68|issue=3|pages=395–407|doi=10.18268/BSGM2016v68n3a2|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Islands===
{{see also|List of islands of Mexico#Gulf of California}}
The gulf contains 37 major islands, the two largest being [[Isla Ángel de la Guarda]] and [[Tiburón Island|Isla Tiburón]]. Most of the islands are found on the west side of the gulf. In fact, many of the islands of the gulf are the result of volcanic eruptions that occurred during the early history of Baja California. The islands of [[Islas Marías]], Islas San Francisco, and [[Isla Partida]] are thought to be the result of such eruptions. The formations of the islands, however, are not dependent on each other. They were each formed as a result of an individual structural occurrence.<ref name="Brusca"/> Several islands, including [[Isla Coronados]], are home to volcanoes. The [[Colorado River Delta]] contains several islands, such as [[Isla Montague]].

The gulf has more than 900 islets and islands which together total about 420 hectares. All of them as a whole were enacted as "Area Reserve and Migratory Bird Refuge and Wildlife" on August 2, 1978. In June 2000, the islands were designated a [[Mexican Flora and Fauna Protection Areas|flora and fauna protection area]]. In addition to this effort by the Mexican government, for its importance and recognition worldwide, all islands in the gulf are also part of the international program "Man and Biosphere" (MAB) and are part of the World Reserve Network UNESCO Biosphere as Special Biosphere Reserve. Because of the vast expanse covered by this federal protected area, conservation and management is carried out through a system of four regional directorates (one per state bordering the Gulf of California). The work of direct and indirect conservation done in the islands is governed by a single management program, published in 2000, which is complemented by local and specific management programs. The Directorate of Protection Area Wildlife California Gulf Islands in Baja California is responsible for 56 islands located off the coast of the state. These are grouped into four archipelagos: San Luis Gonzaga or Enchanted, Guardian Angel, Bahía de los Ángeles and San Lorenzo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/valle-de-los-cirios.-tesoro-de-baja-california.html|title=Valle de los Cirios. Tesoro de Baja California|date=14 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://islasgc.conanp.gob.mx/islas/|title=Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Islas del Golfo de California en Baja California|access-date=2016-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328022637/http://islasgc.conanp.gob.mx/islas/|archive-date=2015-03-28|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Shores and tides===
The three general types of shores found in the gulf include [[rocky shore]], sandy beach, and tidal flat.

Some of the rich biodiversity and high [[endemism]] that characterize the gulf and make it such a hotspot for fishing can be attributed to seemingly insignificant factors, such as the types of rocks that make up a shore. Beaches with softer, more porous rocks (such as [[coquina]] limestone, [[rhyolite]]s, [[granite]], or [[diorite]]) generally have a higher species richness than those with harder, smoother rocks (such as [[basalt]] or [[diabase]]). Porous rocks will naturally have more cracks and crevices in them, making them ideal living spaces for many animals. The rocks themselves, however, generally need to be stable on the shore for a habitat to be stable. Additionally, the color of the rocks can affect the organisms living on a shore. For example, darker rocks will be significantly warmer than lighter ones, and can deter animals that do not have a high tolerance for heat.<ref name="Brusca" />

The northern gulf experiences tidal ranges of up to {{convert|5|m|abbr=on}}. Mixed [[semidiurnal tides]] are the norm throughout most of the Gulf.

===Estuaries===
There are a number of negative [[estuary|estuaries]], that is, ones in which the evaporation of seawater is relatively greater than that of the fresh water input. The salinities of these inlets are higher than that of the ocean. The temperatures, [[Poikilotherm#Ecological niches|poikilothermal]], of these negative estuaries also are higher than the general temperature of the gulf. It is possible that at one time these estuaries were positive, that is, ones in which the [[seawater]] component is diluted; therefore, the water is [[brackish water|brackish]], with salinity less than that of the ocean. However, because of human settlement around the gulf and water diversion for municipal and agricultural use in an area of comparatively low rainfall, there are no longer many rivers that freely empty into the gulf. The upper [[Colorado River Delta]] is one example of a historically major estuary and [[wetland]]s ecosystem, that since the 20th century construction of upriver dams and diversion aqueducts on the Colorado River, is now a small [[Ephemerality|ephemeral]] remnant estuary. The remaining gulf inlets still are important to several species of fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish that are commercially harvested.<ref name="Brusca"/>

==Climate==

===Air===
Even though the shores of the gulf are generally sheltered from the continuous wave shock that is experienced by most other North American shores, storms known as a "[[chubasco]]" can cause significant damage to shorelines, despite their brevity.<ref name="Brusca"/>

===Ocean===
The depth of the water helps to determine its temperature. For example, shallow depths are directly influenced by the local temperature of the air, while deeper waters are less susceptible to changes in air temperature.<ref name="Brusca"/> The temperature of the water in the gulf generally experiences lows of {{convert|16|°C|abbr=on}} in winter and highs of {{convert|24|°C|abbr=on}} in summer. But temperatures can vary greatly in the gulf, and the water is almost always warmer by the coast than the open ocean. For example, the waters surrounding La Paz reach {{convert|30|°C|abbr=on}} in August, while the waters in neighboring city Cabo San Lucas, only reach {{convert|26|°C|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Nix"/><ref name="deepmexico.com">[http://www.deepmexico.com/es/ocean_dives.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221075834/http://www.deepmexico.com/es/ocean_dives.html|date=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref name="redalyc.uaemex.mx">{{cite web |url=https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/479/47942204.pdf |title=47942204 |access-date=2012-06-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715160509/http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/html/479/47942204/47942204.html |archive-date=2012-07-15 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://math.ucr.edu/ftm/bajaPages/MarineBiology.html |title=Marine Biology of Baja California |publisher=Math.ucr.edu |access-date=2013-12-08}}</ref>

Occasionally, the northern gulf will go through significantly cold winters. The water in the northern gulf can sometimes drop below {{convert|8|°C|abbr=on}}, which can lead to a large die-off of marine organisms. The animals most susceptible to the large decrease in water temperature include macroscopic algae and plankton.<ref name="Brusca"/>

{|class="wikitable"
|+Average sea temperatures of [[Puerto Peñasco]]<ref name="redalyc.uaemex.mx"/>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|17&nbsp;°C
63&nbsp;°F
|16&nbsp;°C
61&nbsp;°F
|17&nbsp;°C
63&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|21&nbsp;°C
70&nbsp;°F
|23&nbsp;°C
73&nbsp;°F
|26&nbsp;°C
79&nbsp;°F
|28&nbsp;°C
82&nbsp;°F
|28&nbsp;°C
82&nbsp;°F
|26&nbsp;°C
79&nbsp;°F
|23&nbsp;°C
73&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Average sea temperatures of [[La Paz, Baja California Sur|La Paz]]<ref name="deepmexico.com"/>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|21&nbsp;°C
70&nbsp;°F
|23&nbsp;°C
73&nbsp;°F
|25&nbsp;°C
77&nbsp;°F
|27&nbsp;°C
81&nbsp;°F
|28&nbsp;°C
82&nbsp;°F
|30&nbsp;°C
85&nbsp;°F
|28&nbsp;°C
82&nbsp;°F
|27&nbsp;°C
81&nbsp;°F
|24&nbsp;°C
75&nbsp;°F
|21&nbsp;°C
70&nbsp;°F

|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Average sea temperatures of [[Cabo San Lucas]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/San-Jorge/seatemp |title=San Jorge Water Temperature (Sea) and Wetsuit Guide (Baja Sur, Mexico) |publisher=Surf-forecast.com |access-date=2013-12-08}}</ref>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|20&nbsp;°C
68&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|19&nbsp;°C
66&nbsp;°F
|20&nbsp;°C
68&nbsp;°F
|21&nbsp;°C
70&nbsp;°F
|24&nbsp;°C
75&nbsp;°F
|26&nbsp;°C
79&nbsp;°F
|26&nbsp;°C
79&nbsp;°F
|26&nbsp;°C
79&nbsp;°F
|24&nbsp;°C
75&nbsp;°F
|22&nbsp;°C
72&nbsp;°F
|}

==Marine life==
[[File:Giant pacific manta.jpg|left|frame|Giant Pacific [[manta ray]]]]
The narrow sea is home to a rich ecosystem. In addition to a wide range of [[Endemism|endemic]] creatures, such as the critically endangered [[vaquita]] and [[Sea urchins of the Gulf of California|various species of sea urchin]], it also hosts many migratory species, such as the [[humpback whale]], [[Gray whale|California gray whale]], [[killer whale]], [[manta ray]], [[Humboldt squid]] and [[leatherback sea turtle]], and the world's largest animal, the [[blue whale]]. The unusual resident populations of [[fin whale]]s and [[sperm whale]]s do not migrate annually. The area near the Colorado River Delta has a small remnant population of [[totoaba]]. This region has historically been a magnet for world-class [[Recreational fishing|sport fishing]] activities, with a rich history of sporting world records. The region also has a rich history as a commercial [[fishery]]. However, the data vary wildly according to the species being studied, and the gulf's ability to recuperate after years of overfishing remains uncertain. Moreover, changes in terrestrial ecology, such as the vast reduction in flow from the [[Colorado River]] into the gulf, have negatively affected fisheries, particularly in the northern region.

The gulf sustains a large number of marine mammals, many of which are rare and [[endangered]]. Its more than 900 islands are important nesting sites for thousands of seabirds, and its waters are primary breeding, feeding, and nursing grounds for myriad migratory and resident fish species. For decades, the gulf has been a primary source of two of Mexico's leading marine resources, [[sardines]] and [[anchovies]]. Water pollution is a problem in the gulf, but the more immediate concerns are overfishing and bottom trawling, which destroys eelgrass beds and shellfish.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Efforts by the Mexican government to create [[Nature conservation|conservation zones]] and [[nature reserve]]s have been hampered by lack of enforcement resources as well as a lack of a political consensus on this issue of conservation of the Gulf.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} This occurs even though significant areas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The thousands of miles of coastline are remote and difficult to police, and the politically powerful commercial fishing industry has been slow to embrace even economically viable conservation measures. Conservation of the gulf's fisheries and coastlines is also complicated by a long history of overcapitalization in the sector, and the direct, often negative, impacts that conservation measures have on the livelihoods of Mexico's coastal inhabitants. At present, the Mexican government and business interests have promoted a macro-level, tourist development vision for the gulf, the impacts of which on local ecology and society are uncertain. In 2019, the gulf was added to the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]] because of concerns of the imminent extinction of the [[vaquita]], an [[endemic]] porpoise in the area.<ref name="whs danger">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1999 |title=The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Mexico) inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref>

Coastal communities are highly reliant on both commercial and sport fishing, including [[San Felipe, Baja California|San Felipe]], [[San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas|San Carlos]], [[Cabo San Lucas]], [[La Paz, Baja California Sur|La Paz]], [[Loreto, Baja California Sur|Loreto]], [[Guaymas]], [[Bahía Kino]], [[Puerto Peñasco]], [[Topolobampo]] and [[Mulegé]]. The well-developed shrimp and sardine fleets of [[Mazatlán]], on the Mexican mainland's Pacific coast, heavily exploit the commercial fisheries of the southern gulf.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Many marine organisms can survive only within a particular salinity range, which makes salinity a notable factor in determining the types of potentially commercial organisms found in the gulf. The mean annual ranges of salinity of the Sea of Cortez are between 3.5 and 3.58% at the surface.<ref name="Nix" /> Furthermore, the salinity of the water of the northern gulf is generally higher than the central and southern faunal regions due to the increased amount of evaporation that occurs in that region.<ref name="Brusca" />
==Black Demon==
Locals have alleged the existence of a giant creature known as the "Black Demon" ({{langx|es|El Demonio Negro}}) of the Sea of Cortez. It is usually considered to be a black shark, and less commonly as a whale, measuring about {{convert|20 to 60|ft|m|abbr=on}} and weighing {{convert|50,000 to 100,000|lb|t|abbr=on}},<ref name="ThePortalist 08-2018">{{citation |last=Cox |first=Caroline |title=Alleged Megalodon Sightings That Will Make You Want to Believe |publisher=The Portalist |url=https://theportalist.com/megalodon-sightings-alleged |date=2018-08-07 |access-date=2018-09-19}}</ref><ref name="Aitchison2010">{{cite book |last=Aitchison |first=Stewart W. |title=The Desert Islands of Mexico's Sea of Cortez |publisher=[[University of Arizona Press]] |chapter=3: Island Life |page=81 |isbn=978-0-8165-2774-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQVS9EDmfhQC |year=2010}}</ref> similar to the estimated length of the [[megalodon]].<ref name="Seeker2013">{{cite news |last=Viegas |first=Jen |title=Could a Prehistoric, 60-Foot Shark Still Exist? |publisher=[[Seeker.com]] |url=https://www.seeker.com/could-a-prehistoric-60-foot-shark-still-exist-1767682752.html |date=2013-08-02 |access-date=2018-09-18}}</ref> It is one of a number of alleged cases of giant sharks in the Pacific Ocean, made throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.<ref name="ThePortalist 08-2018"/><ref name="Elasmoresearch">{{cite web|url=http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/evolution/megalodon_lives.htm|title=Does Megalodon Still Live?|publisher=Biology of Sharks and Rays|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ferdinand Konščak]]

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|editor=Brusca, Richard C.|title=The Gulf of California: Biodiversity and Conservation|publisher=University of Arizona Press|date= 2010|pages=354 pages}} Studies by researchers, on both sides of the border, on the threats to the diversity of species in the gulf's waters.
* {{cite book |last1=MacDonald |first1=Gregory |title=Isle of the Amazons In the Vermilion Sea |date=2019 |publisher=39 West Press |location=Kansas City, MO |isbn=978-1-946358-14-1}} An anthology of writings that describe Baja California, and the Gulf of California, from sources dated from the mid-sixteenth century to present.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikisource}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151103082949/http://cedointercultural.org/ CEDO Intercultural]
* [http://www.desertmuseum.org/center/seaofcortez/ Desert Museum]
* [http://bajaex.com/protect-wild-baja/ Friends of Wild Baja conserves and protects the critical habitats and biodiversity of The Gulf of California]

{{List of seas}}
{{coastal geography}}
{{World Heritage Sites in México}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gulf Of California}}
[[Category:Gulf of California| ]]
[[Category:Gulfs of Mexico|California]]
[[Category:Gulfs of the Pacific Ocean|California, Gulf of]]
[[Category:Pacific Coast of Mexico]]
[[Category:Landforms of Baja California]]
[[Category:Landforms of Baja California Sur]]
[[Category:Landforms of Sonora]]
[[Category:Landforms of Sinaloa]]
[[Category:Colorado River]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Mexico]]
[[Category:Temperate Northern Pacific]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Mexico]]
[[Category:Cenozoic Mexico]]
[[Category:Cenozoic rifts and grabens]]